John e



Dec. 11 1923. y 1,477,251

J. B. DowNlNG, 1

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 19. 1921 Patented Dec. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. DOWNING, OE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AssIeNoE "ro BEAVER MACHINE a rrOOL COMPANY, OE NEWARK,l NEw'JEnsEY, ACORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application lied April` 19, 1921. Serial No, 462,611.

To all whom t may concern.' l

Be it known that I, JOHN B. DOWNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the lcounty of Essex and State O-f New Jersey, have invented an-Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly 'to that type of electric switch known as a feed-through switch. Heretofore in switches of this type it has been customary to employ a divided landv preferably a two part casing adapted yto contain a switch mechanism vhaving push buttons extending through the casing when the parts are. assembled to actuate the switch mechanism and provided with terminals "to which the ends of the dividedv parts of one lead are secured, and suitable recesses or ried. In switches of this type the grooves employed in parts ofthe casing for the feed-v through lead are intended to maintain the same in position and out of Contact with thev operating parts of the switch. Undoubtedly the grooves provided for this purpose maintain the feed-through wire in nlace so far as the direction of its path through the casing is concerned, but it has been found that'in many instances the grooves thus employed do not prevent the portion of the feed through wire which is centrally disposed in the casing, that is, disposedcentrally relatively to its longitudinal course through the casing from working into such a position as to interfere with the operating mechanism lof the switch. Furthermore in switches of the type to which this invention relates, particularly when the feed-through wire is relatively heavy, it has been found in assemblingthe par-ts of the casing that. because of the thickness of the feed through wire the screw sockets into which the connecting; screws are turned are either pulled looseor one part of the. casing is cracked .or broken or |the parts of the casing cannot be brought together to form a closed joint leaving the joint along one o-r both edges partially open.

overcome these difficulties and in accomplishing the same` I have found it possible to entirely dispense with any grooves within the casing for directing the path of the feed-through wire in the same. The feedgrooves through which the other lead is car-4 ed to the base upon which the feed mechanism is mounted I vemploy a bridge member or similar devicespanning the operating mechanism of the switch or a. portionfof the same in such a manner as to employ this bridge member to maintain the feed-through wire in. position in the casing `and to prevent the feed through wire from coming into cont-act with .the operating parts of the switch or in any way interfere with the actuation of the same. Also the construction of the casing is such that the switch mechanism may be placed in either position therein, lthat is,

is reversible inthe casing, and furthermore the parts of the casing are made tofit and align with one another irrespective of the manner in which either part o-f the casing is applied to the other sofas'to 'facilitate the assembling of the partsof the switch and to make it substantially Aiml'iossible to pull out the screw threaded sockets or break the casing in putting the parts in place relatively to one another.l

In ythe drawing.;

Fig. 1 is a plan view'of one member of the casing with the switch mechanism located therein.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the other member of the casing, and

Fig. 3 is a central transverse section o-f my improved feed-through switch.

Referring to the drawings, the feedthrough switch made in accordance with this invention comprises a casing preferably made of molded insulating material and divided longitudinally into the parts indicated at 10 and 11 respectively. The

- casing member 10 is provided with a recess The object of the present invention is tov 12 adapted to receive the base 13 of a switch mechanism which is entirely removable from dependently of the casing7 and after, being wired may be placed in position in the casing member 10 and the parts of the casing assembled. The base 13 is madeof porcelain or other suitable insulating material and as illustrated is lprovided with terminals 14, 15 extending through the same and suitably fixed therein, ywhile connected to the terminals 14. and 15 there are binding posts 16 and 17 respectively preferably extending along the lower or inner face of the base 13 and beyond the periphery thereof in order that the divided ends of al lead wire, as indicated at 18` and 19 may be readily connected thereto, and when thus connected the switch mechanism may be placed in the casg 'v ing member 10 by inserting the base '13 of the switch mechanism in the recess 12 or the countersunk part of the casing member 10 provided for the same.

It will be understood that any form of switch mechanism may be employed, and by reference to the drawing it will be seen that the switch mechanism illustrated comprises a reciprocating bar 2O having buttons 21 and 22 secured to the ends thereof, which buttons lie within and extend through recesses 23 and 24 respectively provided there" for in the parts of the casing, the reciprocating bar being supported by and movable in standards 25 fixed on the base 13. The switch mechanism also includes an oscillat- `ing member 26 having oppositely disposed extensions adapted to bear against the contacts 14 and 15 in the operative position of the switch and to be moved therefrom through the oscillation of this member into the inoperative position of the switch. The oscillating member 2G and the reciprocating bar 2O are connected by a spring 27 or other equivalent resilient member, one end of the spring being connected to the reciprocating bar and the opposite end to the oscillating member with the spring provided with a coil so disposed that when the reciprocating bar is moved in one direction by the button 21 the oscillating member is snapped from its yinoperative to its operative position as shown in full lines, Fig. 1, and whenthe reciprocating bar is moved in the opposite direction by pushing the button 22 the oscillating memberis turned in the other direction to the inoperative position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Associated with the base 13 and suitably connected thereto is a bridge 28 spanningr a part of the button 21 and also a part of the reciprocating bar 20 and having a lip 29 extending therefrom. The recess 30 in the casing member 11 is sufficiently deep to receive the bridge 2S and its lip 29 so that the outer end of the lip is appreciably spaced from the base of the recess. The feed-through lead wire 31 extends through the casingv ente-ring at one end through the opening 32 and leaving at the other end through the opening 33, being passed over imately the base of the recess 30 and thus insures the action of the spring from any interference by the feed-through lead.

In suitable positions preferably centrally disposed in their relationship to the open` ings 32, 33 at the ends of the casing, the casing member 10 is provided with` bosses 34 which are fitted with tapped sockets 35, and in similarly placed positions so as to register with the bosses 34 when the parts of the casing are assembled the casing member 11 is also provided with bosses 36 having holes 37 therein to receive screws or other suitable fastening members which may be passed through these holes 37 and turned d own or otherwise secured in the sockets 35 to connect the parts of the casing. and maintain the same in their assembled relationship. As illustrated in the drawing the base of the recess 3() in the casing member 11 may be further recessed as indicated at 38 to a sufficient depth to prevent the casing' member 11 from interfering with the free action of the spring 27 in the operation of the switch. In suitable positions in the walls defining the sides of the interior of the casing member 10 there are notches 39 provided therein, and in similar and corresponding positions in the walls of the casing member 11 there are notches indicated at 40. These notches, as will be understood, are adapted to receive aportion of the binding post terminals in order to make it possible to insert the switch mechanism and the base thereof in the casing in either position. Furthermore, and as is clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing the base 13 of the switch mechanism in oppositely disposed positions may be provided with recesses or notches 41 adapted to receive parts of the bosses 34 and by the same to assist in centering the switch mechanism and the base thereof in the casing irrespective of the position in which the same may be placed therein.

From the foregoing description it will now be understood that the switch mecha nism as hereinbefore described may be entirely removed from the parts of the casing after the same are separated and the necessary electrical connections made and the switch mechanism returned to its position in the casing member 10 and the parts of the casing assembled in the same manner as that shown and described iii-Letters Patent No. 1,355,121, dated October 12, 1920, and that in the present structure no ribs with intervening recesses are necessary to direct or maintain the feed-through lead in position in the casing, and also that this feedthrough lead is prevented from interfering with the action of the switch mechanism by being maintained in place through the action of the bridge 27, and as the space within the parts of the casing when assembled is ample to receive the feed-through wire there is no liability in assembling the parts of either dislodging the screw sockets for the connecting screws of the `casing or breaking or cracking` either part of the casing or preventing the parts of the casing fitting flush to one another to make a closed joint between the same.

It `will be understood that while I have hereinbefore shown and described a feedthrough switch structure in which the switch mechanism is entirely removable, as well as reversible in the parts of a divided 'f casing, that the invention is not to be so limited, as the same is equally applicable to feed-through switches in which the switch mechanism or parts thereof are secured and permanently fixed in one or the other of the parts of the casing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a feed-thru electric switch, a casing, a switch mechanism including a base, terminals, a contact member, and a reciprocating member having push buttons associated therewith, a bridge connected to and extending from the base of the switch mechanism so as to 'extend over a portion of the reciprocating member. and one of the buttons to maintain the feed-thru line wire in position and to prevent the same from coming into contact with the reciprocating member and the push button,

2. In a feed-thru electric switch, a longitudinally divided casing, a switch mechanism mounted in the casing and including a base, terminals, a contact member, and a reciprocating member having push buttons connected thereto, a bridge connected to and extending from the base of the switch so as to extend over a portion of the reciprocating member and one of the buttons carried thereby, and a lip extending from the said bridge, the bridge and its lip being adapted to maintain the feed-thru wire in position and to prevent the same from coming into contact and interfering with the operation of the reciprocating member and the buttons carried thereby.

3. In a feed through electric switch, a casing, a switch member mounted in the casing independently thereof and comprising a base, terminals, an oscillating member, a reciprocating member with buttons carried 1thereby extending in oppositely disposed positions through the casing, and a resilient member connecting the oscillating member and the reciprocating member whereby the latter operates the former, and a bridge secured to the said base for maintaining the feed through lead wire in position in a recess provided thereforin the casing to prevent the feed through lead wire from interfering with the operation of the reciprocating member and the buttons carried thereby.

4. In a feed through electric switch, a casing divided longitudinally into two parts, a switch mechanism including a base adapted to be received in a recess provided therefor in one part of the casing, terminals, an oscillating member, a reciprocating member having buttons at the ends thereof extending through the casing in oppositely disposed positions, and a resilient member connecting the oscillating member with the reciprocating member so that the latter operates the former, and a bridge connected to the said base and adapted to maintain the feed through lead wire in position in a recess provided therefor in a part of the casing to prevent the said feed through lead wire from interfering with the operation of the said reciprocating member and the buttons of the switch mechanism. i

5. In a feed through switch, a divided casing, a switch mechanism reversible in position in one member of the casing, and means for connecting the parts of the casing with the end of one part in contact with either end of another part.

6. In a feed-through switch, a two part casing, a switch mechanism, one part of the casing being adapted to receive the switch mechanism in either one of two reversible positions and the other part of the casing being adapted to fit either end to on the aforesaid part of the casing, and means for connecting the parts of the casing to one another.

7. In a feed-through switch, a two part longitudinally split casing, a switch mechanism therein, and means for connecting the parts of the casing in any one of a plurality of positions shiftable with respect to each other.

Signed by me this 6th day of April, 1921,

JOHN B. DOWNING. 

